


I Ain't No Superman, I Ain't No Holy Ghost

by 42becausewhynot



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Adam/Shiro (Voltron) Reunion, Fix It Fic, Gender-Neutral Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, I'm still salty over it, M/M, Reunion, Season 8 Doesn't Exist, Shadam, Shiro (Voltron) Has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Shiro has PTSD, a little angsty, adashi, ill add more later, pretty fluffy, season 7 divergence, season 7 reunion, voltron is mine now, what should have happened in season 7
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-14
Updated: 2019-01-31
Packaged: 2019-08-23 18:04:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16623815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/42becausewhynot/pseuds/42becausewhynot
Summary: I'm bad at writing summaries, so here it goes:It's been 6 years since Shiro has seen him last. It's been 6 years, and things have changed. So much has changed.Title is from West Coast by Imagine Dragons





	1. I ain't no Superman, I ain't no Holy Ghost

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! Thanks for reading! This is the first fanfic I've posted on here, and the first fanfic I've posted anywhere in a while. I've had this sitting for a while, and also I have some more chapters to this too. (I also have some more Adashi fanfiction that I've written and I'll revise once this is up and if people like it.)

It had been around 6 years since he had seen him last, and, well, things had changed.  
His hair had turned white, but only a little at first. Now, well, all of his hair was as white as the clouds on a nice day. It wasn’t because of age, it was because of the fact that he died. And hell, this wasn’t even his original body.  
He also now has a large scar across his facial feature showing he had survived a year of torture. And not to mention the fact that he was missing an entire limb. At first, it was weird missing an arm, as it had been replaced with a prosthetic for years, but now that was gone too.

And with years of war comes various mental illnesses. PTSD from the fact he was forced to fight for entertainment and become a cold, hard shell of what he used to be back on earth. Anxiety, which came hand in hand with his PTSD, also from the fact that he never knew or will ever see anything or anyone he loves again.  
And one of those people was Adam.  
He hadn’t seen him in years, and he regretted it. It had been far too long. Sometimes, he struggled to remember what he looked like. What was his favorite food? Sometimes he forgot. Which side of the bed did he sleep on? He was pretty sure Adam slept on the left.

He remembered the last words Adam said to him, and every time he thought of it, it devastated him.  
“Don’t expect me to be here when you come back.”  
It haunted him like a ghost. Would he be there? Does he still care about him? Would he accept him back into his life? His time in the astral plane had done nothing of the sorts to help his dilemma.  
Is he still alive?  
He had no way of telling. The thought itself terrified him. He could be long gone and he would have no way to know in this far out land they called space.

Does he still love him?  
He hated the thought. Would he help him piece together his shattered life after all these years? After all these years spent thinking he was dead, and gone, and lost forever after a “pilot error”? Would he still love him after all these years of torture of him being the prime example of what not to do in space? Would he still love him after all these years without a proper goodbye?

Would he accept him back?  
He felt he did him wrong, and he did. He regretted how he acted, how their relationship ended. He missed him, he missed him so much.

By far, the worst part was the fact he was so close to proposing to him. He was sure that Adam might have found the ring in the back corner of the bottom drawer of his dresser, right where he left it. If Adam didn’t find it, someone did while cleaning out his room for another officer to live in. Another officer in the seemingly infinite supply of human life.

Adam was the only person he could come home to. Even so, he probably wouldn’t be there. Adam was a man of his word. He told the truth, and people could always rely on him.

Shiro was pacing around in the back of the black lion, feeling anxiety coursing in his veins. They were counting down the hours until they landed, and there was around only one left ‘til they arrive back on earth. It was hard, thinking about all the scenarios that could happen when they land on Earth. What if he’s with someone else? What if he’s still angry at Shiro for his decision? Oh god, what if he’s dead? His thoughts raced without stopping. He had never been this nervous before.  
“Shiro? Are you ok?” Keith asked, glancing back at the nervous wreck.  
“Yeah man, I’ve never seen you this nervous before,” Lance said from the red lion.  
“I’m ok, just some nerves. You know, I haven't been to Earth in many years." He tried to remain calm, and to keep his facade up.   
“Are you sure? You look like you’re about to freak out.” Pidge commented over from the green lion.  
He sighed. “I’m nervous about landing on Earth.”  
“Why?” They asked.  
“I have some… Unfinished business with someone.” He closed his eyes and sat down.  
“A rivalry?” Lance asked, which Keith responded with a firm stare.  
Shiro let out a short laugh. “No, quite the opposite.”  
“Ooh! Does the famous Shiro have a girrrrrlfriend?” Lance teased.  
“Uh no,” He shifted in his seat. He could see Keith tensing up slightly. He knew what was going on and what was going to go down. “I actually have a boyfriend. Er, had a boyfriend.”  
“Oh…” Lance responded, obviously regretting his words. “You’re gay?”  
“Yeah,” Shiro replied, slightly tense, but otherwise calm. He knew he had to own up to who he was, but it's hard every time he has to come out again.  
“So you’re nervous about how your boyfriend will react about you coming home?” Allura asked, with a calm expression on her face, trying to take a diplomatic approach to this.  
“Ex-boyfriend. I messed everything up before I left for the Kerberos mission. I’m not sure he will want me back after the 6 years I’ve been gone.”  
“How long had you been dating?” Hunk asked.  
“A long while.” He closed his eyes, his response tentative.  
“Are you kidding? Who doesn’t want to date Shiro? He’ll most likely be going, ‘Oh, Shiro! Will you forgive me for what I’ve done?’ and then you’ll go ‘I don’t know if I can forgive you…’ and then he’ll weep dramatically.” Lance joked.  
Shiro laughed nervously, opening his eyes. “I wish it would be that easy… He probably won’t be there when we land… not after our fight…”  
“Shiro, if I had fought someone over something, and they disappeared for years after a mission and pronounced dead, and then they came back, I would still give them a chance! Unless they were a piece of shit.” Pidge said.  
“Language!” He reminded.  
“Unless they were a piece of heck,” They sarcastically replied.  
“I don’t know, I don’t know…” He said. “We fought over whether or not I should go on the Kerberos mission, and I didn’t listen to him and look where I’m at!”  
“Don’t worry about it, Shiro,” Keith said. He had gone silent during the entirety of the conversation. “I know he’ll be there when we land.”  
“So, tell me about him.” Allura asked, obviously interested with the Earth customs.  
“Well, He’s nice, I guess. He’s a good man, with good intentions. He’s a man of his word. And he’s a great cook.” He laughed.  
“Hmmm. Is his food as good as Hunk’s?” Coran said, stroking his glorious mustache.  
“Maybe, it’s been a while.” He smiled sadly, the memories paining him. There was a brief moment of silence before Krolia disturbed it with, “We’ve got around 30 of your Earth “minutes” until we arrive.”

And with that, Shiro's stomach dropped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theres going to be edits going on, so feel free to give me feedback!


	2. I'm Just The One That Keeps You Up At Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM SO SORRY I HAVENT POSTED IN A WHILEEEEEE BUT THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR READING THIS!!!

“Takashi Shirogane is alive.” 

Adam felt like he had been punched in the chest. His heart was pounding, his chest heaving, despite the fact he was sitting in a chair in a private room with Commander Sam Holt, who wasn't dead.  
He couldn’t believe it.  
His vision was swirling. He couldn’t tell the difference between real life and his imagination.  
Breathe in.  
Breathe out.  
It was something his doctor told him to do while having a panic attack, and well, right now, he was certainly panicking. Tears were welling up in his eyes, and he couldn’t focus. He felt like his whole world was slowly ascending, and there was nothing he could do about it. It felt like something was loose in his chest, and it didn’t feel right. Like screws coming loose, getting looser by the rattling of the news. He zoned out, focusing on his breathing. He rarely was this emotional, and this was out of his character, but the news was big.  
Takashi isn’t dead.  
He’s alive.  
Takashi.  
The smart, beautiful, charming Takashi.  
The one that he met on his first day of the garrison, the one that was in the same class.  
His longest relationship.  
His wonderful, beautiful, Takashi, was alive.

He somehow managed to get a grip on his emotions(at least partially), as he looked up at Sam Holt, one of the men that went up with Takashi on that fateful mission.  
“He wanted me to give you this. He’s saving the universe.” Commanded Holt said to him, handing him an object.  
“Is this a joke?” Adam said, with a forced laugh. He didn’t mean to lash out, He really respected Sam, but it was just his emotions came rushing back to him, and so did another round of tears.  
“Adam, I know it sounds crazy, and you might think it’s a joke, but trust me. He is doing great things.”  
“No no no… He died years ago. They said so. It was pilot error.” He muttered, put his head in his hands, squeezing tight, hoping the pain would get him to snap out of the weird place his mind was in.  
“Adam, I know it’s rough.”  
He collapsed on the table he was leaning on, sobbing quietly.  
“I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry," He said, trying to get a grip. He finally managed to calm himself, and he sat up. “I’m so sorry.” He said, wiping his tears away.  
“I know its hard Adam, and I know it’s been a long time. But he wanted you to have this. He said that he was going to come home as soon as possible.” The commander said. “He cares about you.”  
“Thank you.”  
“To turn it on, you press this button, ok?”  
“Thank you,” Adam said, rising from his seat. “I’m going to go back to my dorm.” The one he had shared with him. He grabbed his bag and walked out of the room with the strange device.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this sucks, but I tried. ANYWAYS, ONLY 2 MORE DAYS UNTIL MY OFFICIAL DEATH I LOVE YOU GUYS IM SO SORRY


	3. And You Love The Most

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I M N O T O K A Y A F T E R S E A S O N 8  
> OKOKOKOKOKOKOKOK
> 
> I'm very disappointed, so I'm going to bury myself in fan fiction. Expect more updates constantly.
> 
> And as always, message me if there's any mistakes!

He was surrounded by the darkness in the comfort of his government-issued apartment. He sat down on the orange couch. It had been stiff and new when he and Takashi moved in, but over the years it had been broken in, and was much more comfortable. He stirred into his seat, the only sound he could hear was his heart beating and the rustle of his clothes, until he took a deep breath.  
In.  
Out.  
In.  
Out.  
He pushed the button.  
A holographic image of Takashi popped up, flickering.  
His eyes widened. His hair now had a tuft of white, a stark contrast from the black Adam knew and remembered. Across his nose was a pink scar. And…. was that a prosthetic arm??? He was confused. He was almost 100% certain this was the man he knew and loved, but so much had changed he almost was a different person in a way. And there were little things too. His eyes looked… worn out, like he was in a permanent state of tiredness.  
“Hey, Adam. I know it must be terribly confusing to find out I’m not dead.”  
He was right on that.  
“And I know we left things off in a bad spot. I know I shouldn’t have gone on the Kerberos mission. But, all of this wouldn’t of happened. I should have listened to you.”  
He felt the tears start to come back.  
“I regret arguing with you. I regret so much.” The hologram of Takashi took a deep breath.  
“I know I messed things up between us. I know I was a jerk. But I miss you.”  
Damn. He missed him too.  
“You were one of the forces that kept me going when I was captured by the Galra. I fought hoping that I would one day, see you again.”  
Adam blinked back the tears.  
“I completely understand if you don’t want me back in your life as your partner. But I hope that I at least can catch up with you on what happened in these few years.”  
The tears were hot, and it was hard to hold back.  
“I hope to see you again when I get back to Earth with Keith, Cadet Pidge Gunderson*, Cadet Lance McClain, and Cadet Hunk Garrett, whenever that may be. I’m so sorry for what I have done, and it’s a long story, and I hope that I can tell you someday in person. There are some stories that you might like about me and the other Paladins, like how I was the first human to talk to an alien!” He laughed awkwardly. “They weren’t that happy to see me. Or maybe the time Keith and Lance had a bonding moment after Lance emerged from a coma and saved Keith’s life, but refuses to admit that it happened. It frustrates the hell out of Keith.”  
He laughed. He, unfortunately, also ended things with Keith on a bad note. He, Takashi, and Keith were like a small family at one point.  
“I miss you and I hope to talk with and see you again. I love you.”  
The hologram winked out, leaving Adam in the darkness.  
He fell back on the couch, staring at the ceiling.  
He smiled a dumb smile in the dark, because finally, the one thing he cared about could come back after him believing so many years he was dead.  
The past couple years he had slowly became a work machine, much different from what he was when Takashi was home. He had become a different person, and he hated it. He wish Takashi was home and alive everyday. He was the light of his life and he enjoyed everyday he got to wake up next to him. He enjoyed those little moments, light kisses on his cheek before parting ways to go to class, holding hands and going on walks, cooking together(well, it was mostly him, but he was mostly there to distract him with little kisses and and hugs.). They also loved watching movies, whether it be romantic or horror or any in between. He loved those little things, those little moments he’d been needing and wanting for years.  
He had considered getting into another relationship, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. He felt that if he did, he would be disrespecting him, even if they had broken off the relationship beforehand. He felt empty inside. His life spiraled into a depression filled with panic attacks and minor PTSD from sitting in the control room, helpless, watching them scream, and scream, and scream. Forced to relive it every day from little reminders: Sympathetic looks, being told to get over it, it was pilot error, it was pilot error, it was pilot error.  
He was there in that room, and it wasn’t pilot error. He swore. He saw it with his own glittering dark brown eyes.  
Takashi was the best pilot in the garrison, and he would never, ever, fail out of the blue. There had to be a reason.  
He felt as it was all his fault. The other people close to him forced him into therapy, and he began to improve ever so slightly. His life slowly got together. He put on a stone-cold facade. But now, it crumbled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * I'm using this since technically she was that in the garrison.


	4. I'll Be Your Strong Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam watches as the people on the Kerberos mission dies as he stands in the control room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I hope you're doing well after season 8(and if you haven't seen it yet, brace yourself). Thank you for your comments! I appreciate every one of them!
> 
> This chapter might not be that good, but I hope you like it regardless. Sorry if Adam seems out of character.  
> Oh wait.
> 
> ON WITH THE STORY!

One day, one fateful day, was enough to change his life. He was in his classroom, typing away on his tablet during his lunch break. He wasn’t very hungry, but he had a sandwich in his bag. The Kerberos mission had launched a little while ago, and he tried not to think about it that much. He knew that they would hopefully make up once he came home. But, that wasn’t the case. Takashi Shirogane would not come home for over a year, just before disappearing again, but this time, for over 5 years.  
He heard a knocking at his closed classroom door. It was an older classroom, one that didn’t have all the bells and whistles of some of the newer ones that had been built recently in the new academic wing. But he was ok with it. It brought him some solitude, being one of the few in the wing.  
“Come in!” He called from his desk, which was placed on the other side of the room. The afternoon light streamed through the windows, casting a warm glow. It was early spring, and it was a warm day. The door opened to reveal Iverson.  
“You’re needed in the control room right now,” Iverson said, in a short clipped voice.  
“But I have a class to teach in less than half an hour!” Adam said before he was interrupted.  
“The students can go to their dorms. Just come with me now.”  
Adam sprung up from his chair, shoving his tablet in his bag as he slugged it over his shoulder.  
“What happened?” Adam demanded as he ran to the door.  
“There’s been an accident.”  
Iverson ran and Adam followed. He led him down the various hallways that formed a maze which eventually led him to the control room where they burst through the doors. The only thing he could hear in that moment was his heart pounding and the screams of the crew over the radio.  
He threw his bag aside on the ground, eyes glued to the monitor which was cutting in and out.  
“What’s going on…” He said, quietly, under his breath. No one answered. “I SAID, WHAT’S HAPPENING?”  
Still no one answered his desperate question. Everyone was caught up in what they were doing.  
“Sir! Something is interfering with the connection!” A man said, reporting to his boss, which was running from person to person.   
“Find out what is. NOW.”  
He stood there, in shock. His hands grasped at his hair, pulling at it. The edges of his vision was becoming to be distorted. He could see the video of the crew, and he saw something. He wasn’t sure what, but it was big. It was short lived when the video cut out to static. The only link he had was the audio.   
“Sir! Video connection has been lost!” Another man announced with panic in his voice. They were losing them.  
The crew was screaming, and screaming, and screaming. Long, agonizing screams until everything stopped. There was nothing but grey static signaling the loss of a connection and the loss of life.  
“No…” Adam said breathlessly, breaking the silence. “No!” His knees gave out and he collapsed. He was shaking. It couldn’t be. They- He- He couldn’t be dead. He was completely numb, and he couldn’t feel anything. The only sound in his head was the blood pounding in his ears and the haunting screams playing over and over.  
“Adam…” Said a voice, but he couldn’t tell who. All that mattered in that moment was dead.  
“How did they die?” Adam in a quiet voice asked. “Tell me!”  
“It was- it was pilot error.” A young woman said carefully, breaking the shocked silence, tears in her eyes.  
“It was not damn pilot error!” Adam said, raising his voice, followed by more silence. “You said that there was something interfering with the signal!”  
“It most likely was a mountain or overpass.” The man responded.  
“You said you didn’t know what it was!” Adam was never, ever like this. This version of Adam was so much different from the nice, quiet, respectful man he usually was. There was more deafening silence before Adam interrupted it again.  
“He can’t be dead! He’s the best pilot we have…” He muttered, his breathing starting to become uneven. “He can’t be dead, he can’t be dead, he can’t be dead-”  
“Adam,” Iverson said, resting a hand on his shoulder.  
“He can’t be dead he can’t be dead he can’t be dead-” He muttered, repeating the phrase over and over again as he stood there in shock.  
“Adam….”  
“It wasn’t damn pilot error!” He snapped. “You saw it! I saw it!”  
“Adam, I’m going to take you to the infirmary…” Iverson said, guiding the tan man to the door. Adam didn’t try to resist. His mind was racing. He couldn’t have died, that was not pilot error. It had to be something else. It was something else. He saw it.  
“No no no no-” Adam muttered under his breath. “No no no no no no no!” Everything was a blur. walking down hallways until they got to the infirmary. He sat down on a bed, only it wasn’t him that propelled himself to the room, it was like he was on autopilot. A blurry nurse came in and took his vitals, as he sat there, broken, mind racing, vision blurring.  
Someone took off his glasses and laid him down on the bed. They turned out the lights as he laid there, chest hollow, vision blurred, mind empty except one thing.  
He’s gone.  
He knew it was going to happen soon, but not this soon.  
He wouldn’t die of his disease, he’d die in space.  
Takashi Shirogane, the best pilot in the Garrison, his best friend. His lover, dead.  
Gone forever.  
Forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope to post again soon, but if I don't, I hope you have happy holidays and a happy New Year!!! I have vacation which should be a good time to get more done!
> 
> And quick question. How do I tell my mom the story I've been writing for a while is actually gay fanfiction because she's been bugging me to share it with her.  
> But enough is enough. Happy Holidays!


	5. I'll Be Your West Coast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flashbacks to the first scene we see of Adam(canonically), but in depth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all you beautiful people! thank you guys for the support!! So if you don't know, this is written as a google doc, and I had each chapter written before I even published this story(I go back and edit them before posting). But the thing is, I may have run out of chapters. So, uploads may be slower! But, for the next chapter(after this one of course!), I will be relieving you of this sad excuse for angst these past chapters have been and giving you some nice fluff! (Most likely an evening with them!) SO! Be prepared!

“Everything ok?” Adam said, looking up from where he was sitting. Something was off, he could tell it in the way that Takashi threw his bag onto the couch and plopped down next to it.  
“Iverson doesn’t think I should be a part of the mission,” there was a moment of silence. “Called in the big guns. Admiral Sanda showed up and tried to convince Sam to remove me from the crew.”  
“Well, maybe he’s right,” Adam replied, turning towards him. “Maybe you shouldn’t go on the mission. You’ll only be putting yourself at risk.” He took a small sip from his tea.  
“You know how important this is to me. It’s worth the risk!” Takashi said, starting to raise his voice. He didn’t want to go through this again. They had had this talk before, and it always ended the same way. Adam slammed his cup onto the counter, jarring his thoughts and the other man.  
“Takashi, how important am I to you?” He questioned. “Every mission, every drill. I’ve been right there with you. But this is more than a mission. This is your life at stake.” He enunciated his words carefully. He didn’t want him to leave, he really didn’t want him to leave.  
“Don’t start that again Adam!” Takashi interrupted. “You don’t need to protect me! This is something I need to do for myself!”  
His words cut deep like a sword brandished against its enemy. From Adam’s view, it was always about him. Always about the brave, proud, and outgoing Takashi and never about the quiet and reserved Adam. To be fair, he was the one dying of a terminal disease. But did he ever stop to think, “oh! What about Adam? What will he think? What about him?” It seemed like the best quality about Adam was his boyfriend, since that’s what everyone else ever saw. Adam loved Takashi deeply and would do anything for him, but he sacrificed so many things, and he felt he never got anything in return.  
“There’s nothing left for you to prove. You’ve broken every record there is to break!” Adam said, raising his voice slightly. There was a moment of awkward silence before, “I know I can’t stop you….” He rose from his stool slowly. “But I won’t go through this again. So if you decide to go…” He breathed, voice quivering slightly. “Don’t expect me to be here where you get back.” He turned towards him. “I’ve got a class to teach.” He spat the words out, and without another word, he grabbed his bag and left.  
All he wanted was his opinion to matter for once. Can he physically stop him from going into space? No. But can Takashi take his thoughts into consideration for one? Yes. Don’t get him wrong, he loved him so much, and he would spend the rest of his life with him, given the chance. He would look forward to waking up next to him every day, seeing his beautiful face. He would look forward to talking with him late into the night, watching scary movies that neither quite wanted to see. He’d enjoy the little kisses they’d give each other.  
But this was the last straw. He loved him so much, and he was afraid to lose him. Takashi only had so much longer to live, and he wanted him to live out the rest of his short days with him. He just wanted to be with him. He was just so damn frustrated that he wanted to go back. Wasn’t he concerned for his own health? Didn’t he want to live? All Adam wanted was for him to stay. He was there with him through thick and thin, when he was diagnosed, when he had his first surgery, and when he broke records. Every day he woke up next to him. Every day, every night. No matter what happened, they would be together. But this? This was slightly different. This wasn’t just a little quarrel about what to have for dinner, or what movie to watch, this was life or death. Why did he want to do it? He was already in the history books, and he would definitely not be forgotten, so why? He was already so successful. So why?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay hydrated! Lots of love! Happy Holidays!


	6. I'll Be the Sun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just some cute, domestic fluff! An short evening with the two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! I promised I'd write some fluff, and here you guys go!

Shiro was sat down at the table, eagerly waiting for Adam to come home. It was a friday, and those were his favorite days of the week because that meant he could relax with Adam after all the training he was doing.  
Looking around the shared apartment, people could see the whirlwind of life they both were. There were two forces: The strong, messy man that was Takashi Shirogane, and the smart, neat man that was Adam Waters. The two were quite the pair.

The door opened, a revealed Adam who was held down by groceries, which snapped the daydreaming man to attention. Shiro rushed over to help him, taking the groceries off of his hands and bringing them to the counter. Adam took the last bag and set it down next to the others. He set his satchel that contained his books and tablet down on the floor.  
“How was your day?” The black haired man said leaning in to kiss the slightly shorter brown haired man on the cheek.  
“It was great! My students had to take a test so it was a pretty quiet day.” Adam said, looking up with a smile at the man. “What about you?”  
“I had to train the students in the simulator again, so nothing big,” He wrapped his arms around his waist. “What’s for dinner?” He said, with a gooey smile.  
“I was thinking stir fry would be easy,” He smiled back. “I should get started soon though.” And with that Shiro released his grip from his waist.

While Adam started on dinner, Shiro started picking a movie. “What do you want to watch?”  
He was looking over the Netflix library.  
“How about a horror movie?” Adam said with a slight teasing smile. Shiro let out a groan.  
“You know I hate those.” He said with a joking whine.  
“I know, I know.” He said with a grin. The frozen vegetables in the saucepan began to sizzle, and went up in a roar when they began to defrost. Adam was definitely the cook between the two. Shiro really couldn’t cook to save his life. Adam had tried to teach him how, but somehow, almost always, something ended up burning.  
“What about... This one?” He selected one that they’ve seen before, and it was a classic for them. If they were disagreeing on what to watch, they always chose that one.  
“If you want to!” He said with a laugh. “Honey do you mind making the rice noodles? All you do is boil some water and put them in.”

Soon, dinner had been made and served and eaten, the movie more than halfway through. They were sat in front of the TV with their empty bowls abandoned on the side table. Adam had curled up against Shiro, with his head against the dark-haired man’s chest. He heard his steady heart beat. He saw the small teal LED on the metal cuff on the other’s wrist flash as it administered a shock with the warning of a soft beep. He felt the other tense up and then release. Shiro sighed. “I hate this thing.” He murmured.  
“It’s the thing keeping you mostly alive.” Adam replied softly.  
They found out a couple months ago that he had only a couple years to live. It had been devastating. They were so young. But yet, the disease was slowly deteriorating his body and soon, he’d be dead. It was hard, practically having a timer slowly counting down until you die. Every second became a countdown. But he said he’d rather keep working until he died.  
“I know,” he said, tightening his arm around Adam. Adam buried his face into the crook of his neck. There was a pause. “You know, when I die, I don’t want to be forgotten.”  
“You won’t,” Adam reassured.  
“I won’t die or I won’t be forgotten?” Shiro had a teasing smile upon his face. Even in the face of impending death or doom, Shiro would always find a way to joke.  
“Neither,” Adam said, looking up, glasses askew, with an equally stupid smile. “If you die I’ll kill you. And I won’t forget or forgive you,”  
That earned a laugh from the dark haired man. The other man’s grin widened. He adjusted his glasses.  
“And when I get to heaven you bet I’ll kick your ass.” They both laughed, and when they died down, there was another moment before the lighter-haired man muttered, “I don’t want you to die.”  
“I don’t want to die either,” the taller man replied. “But death is iminent. Everyone has to die someday, and I guess mine is a little earlier.”  
“Stop being poetic about your own death,” Adam sighed. “I’m serious.”  
“I know, but I guess humor has to find a way into conversation somehow.”  
“That wasn’t humor. That was talking about your own death.”  
“You know what? I’m tired.”  
“So am I.” The glasses bearing man said softly. The mood slowly turned to solemn the more the quiet went on, and the more they realized what the stakes really were.  
“I’m a pretty lucky man.” Shiro said.  
“For what?”  
“For meeting an amazing man whos an amazing person, an amazing cook, and an amazing boyfriend.”  
“Aw, don’t get sappy on me.” Adam said with a blush gracing his face.  
“You wouldn’t stop me if you could,” Shiro gave him a quick peck on the cheek. “I’m going to go on now.”  
Adam looked down and smiled as the blush bloomed across his face more.  
“An amazing friend, an amazing partner in crime,” Shiro said with a smile. Adam laughed a little, smiling wide. “An amazing and beautiful man, with a wonderful sense of humor.” Adam’s cheeks were red with flatter, as he was left with no words to say. Shiro laughed at the flustered man. He planted a kiss on top of the other’s head, playfully.  
Soon, the credits were rolling on the movie that was playing in the background, and Adam, sleepy after a long week of work reached out for the remote when his hand was met with Shiro’s. He looked up at the man, glasses askew.  
“I guess we should get ready for bed, hon.” He mumbled.  
“I can do dishes. You go ahead and get ready.” Shiro smiled. He leaned in for a kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the chapter being weird. I wrote this in 3 sittings. 1: horrible writers block. 2: motivated. 3: now, editing and adding more. Motivated to be poetic. It's also really short, so there's going to be more fluff soon. I'm sorry, more of an explanation later!
> 
> edit: Hey I'm back! Sorry for the weird A/N, I had to post it quickly. I really hope you like it, and if you do, then I'll do more. If you don't, I'll probably still do more anyways because its fun.


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